For decades, astronomers suspected that Mars might be teeming with organics, which are carbon-based molecules like proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that the Mars Curiosity rover uncovered the first evidence showing these life-supporting compounds were not only present, but also likely scattered all over the Red Planet.
At the time, astronomers suspected that organics were hitchhiking to Mars almost exclusively aboard tiny, interplanetary dust part

Starmus
Today, on the 14th of March, 2018, the human race has suffered an immeasurable loss. The loss of a man who was not only one of the greatest scientists of all times and one of the most influential people on the planet, but also a model and inspiration for many of us. Stephen Hawking was a man of exceptional power of spirit and a model of civic stance. He changed the way we perceive our Universe, our time and ourselves, and did it with his unique talent of communication and gentle,

In a study published March 14 in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, astronomers announced the discovery that all galaxies rotate about once every billion years, no matter their size or mass.
“It’s not Swiss watch precision,” said Gerhardt Meurer, an astronomer from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), in a press release. “But regardless of whether a galaxy is very big or very small, if you could sit on the extreme edge of it

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory has entered into a partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) to train park rangers in bringing the wonders of the night sky to their visitors. The observatory also will create outreach programs for the park service.
“We are extremely pleased to join forces with the McDonald Observatory to bring this training to NPS park and regional office staff,” said Ray Sauvajot, NPS Associate Director for Natural Resource Stewardship

Data collected by NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter indicate that the atmospheric winds of the gas-giant planet run deep into its atmosphere and last longer than similar atmospheric processes found here on Earth. The findings will improve understanding of Jupiter's interior structure, core mass and, eventually, its origin.
Other Juno science results released today include that the massive cyclones that surround Jupiter's north and south poles are enduring atmospheric features and unlike anything e

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a curious comet. Not just because of its peculiar name, but also because of its odd, rubber-ducky shape. The comet — hereafter referred to as Chury — seems to be made up of two cometary nuclei that gently collided and stuck together at some point in the past.
Astronomers believed that for two comets to merge in such a way, they must possess three traits: They must be extremely low in density, rich in volatiles (elements and compounds with low boil

This image was originally meant to track the movement of sand dunes near the North Pole of Mars, but what's on the ground in between the dunes is just as interesting!
The ground has parallel dark and light stripes from upper left to lower right in this area. In the dark stripes, we see piles of boulders at regular intervals.
What organized these boulders into neatly-spaced piles? In the Arctic back on Earth, rocks can be organized by a process called "frost heave." With frost heave, repeatedly

Flagstaff, AZ - Nearly every major Pluto-related discovery has ties to Flagstaff, Arizona, particularly Lowell Observatory. This has led people to call both the city and observatory the “Home of Pluto”. A new book published by The History Press, Pluto and Lowell Observatory, shares this captivating connection. It is set for release on March 10.
Percival Lowell began searching for a planet at his observatory in 1905, an effort that eventually culminated with Clyde Tombaugh’s 19

Astronomers determined the star S0-2, which will test Einstein’s Theory of General Relatively when it swings by our galaxy’s supermassive black hole later this year, does not have a significant binary companion.